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Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Swifts

Do you see the swifts are here again?They swoop so low and soar so highI think there may be more than ten -do you see the swifts are here again?We know it's summer round here whenour favourite bird comes gliding byYou see the swifts are here! Againthey sweep so low and soar so high!*** I saw my first swifts of the year today at Musselburgh. Several were flying with swallows and house martins above the River Esk and several more were flying with house martins near Musselburgh Boating Pond.

As many readers of this blog know, the swift is my favourite bird.
It arrives in the UK in May and leaves by the end of August. It
spends almost all its life on the wing, only landing to build its nest
and lay its eggs. The skies outside our flat are full of swifts at this
time of the year, they are wonderfully acrobatic. There are at least ten
of them most years (I've not seen any outside our flat yet this year, but it is still early days).

The RSPB is looking for records of swifts, you can find out how you can help them here.

Concern for Swifts Scotland aims to have swift nest site conservation
incorporated into building specifications and to support the inclusion
of the swift in Local Biodiversity Action Plans.

***

I was also delighted today to hear a grasshopper warbler in the long grass near Musselburgh Boating Pond. I checked with Lothian Birds and they said these warblers are often found here. Definitely the first time I've heard them there though. I'll need to keep my ears even more open than normal then!

Musselburgh Lagoons are currently being drained for their annual maintenance, but there was still a good variety of birds, including grey partridges, reed buntings and a pink footed goose, sitting in exactly the same place as last time I was there - it looked as though it was nesting, except that it doesn't breed in this country!

That is good to hear of efforts to provide habitat wherever able for Swifts. Swifts here only pass through during migration - but then the tall chimneys from old places are great to watch them go in at night!